The Da Vinci Code A Novel 2 (Robert Langdon)

While in Paris on business Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton Botticelli Victor Hugo and Da Vinci among others.In a breathless race through Paris London and beyond Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.THE DA VINCI CODE heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced intelligent thriller…utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion. Amazon.com Review WithThe Da Vinci Code Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2000 years of Western history. A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who in the moments before his death manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu and Robert Langdon a famed symbologist can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France England and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. --Jeremy Pugh From Booklist In a two-day span American symbologist Robert Langdon finds himself accused of murdering the curator of the Louvre on the run through the streets of Paris and London and teamed up with French cryptologist Sophie Neveu to uncover nothing less than the secret location of the Holy Grail. It appears that a conservative Catholic bishop might be on the verge of destroying the Grail which includes an alternate history of Christ that could bring down the church. Whoever is ordering the deaths of the Grail's guardians--modern-day members of an ancient society descended from the famed Knights Templar--must be stopped before the treasure is lost forever. To do so Langdon and Neveu have to solve a series of ciphers and riddles while evading a tireless French police commander and a ruthless albino monk. Despite being hampered by clunky flashback sequences and place descriptions that read like tourist brochures the story is full of brain-teasing puzzles and fascinating insights into religious history and art. Ultimately Brown's intricate plot delivers more satisfying twists than a licorice factory.Frank SennettCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Review Dan Brown has to be one of the be